Screen Name

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

This Facebook account is already present

Your Club account has been locked due to a breach of our Terms of Service. Please set up a new account in line with the Club rules. Review the Club Rules. Alternatively, you can email us by completing our contact form.

Please enter a valid email address

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

Nerves take hold across Europe

The battle for domestic league honours around Europe has entered the home straight, but with the exception of the 'Big Four' in England, a host of leaders and title candidates around the continent buckled under the pressure and dropped points at the weekend. FIFA.com reviews the action from around Europe’s top leagues.

Premier League: Usual suspects disappear over the horizon
At the midpoint of the season, the likes of Villa and Everton seemed poised to shake up the established order, but a couple of months later, the Premier League’s Big Four have brushed off the competition and pulled comfortably clear at the top. Leaders Manchester United oozed determination and quality in a stunning recovery from 2-0 down at half-time against Tottenham Hotspur. A Dimitar Berbatov effort and two goals apiece from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney sealed a 5-2 victory and sent the Old Trafford faithful into raptures.

Liverpool won 3-1 away to Hull City, Chelsea beat West Ham United by the only goal of the game at Upton Park, and Arsenal chalked up a routine 2-0 home win over Middlesbrough. In the relegation dogfight, bottom club West Brom beat Sunderland 3-0, the Baggies' first win in over four months.

Top three: Manchester United (77 points), Liverpool (74), Chelsea (71)Bottom three: Middlesbrough (31), Newcastle United (30), West Bromwich Albion (28)Leading scorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (17 goals), Nicolas Anelka (15), Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Robinho (all 13)Weekendstat: 2 - FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo likes to get his goals in pairs. The Manchester United superstar netted a brace for the sixth time this season.
La Liga: Real make up ground as Barça draw
After a run of seven wins on the bounce, leaders Barcelona suffered a minor setback in the Spanish title race as fourth-placed Valencia held the Catalan giants to a 2-2 draw. Lionel Messi put the visitors in front, but Hedwiges Maduro and Pablo Hernandez turned the tables in the run-up to the break. Sub Thierry Henry salvaged a point for Barça four minutes from time.

Champions Real Madrid reduced the gap at the top to four points, veteran goal-getter Raul hitting the target three times in a 4-2 triumph away to third-placed Sevilla.

Bundesliga: Defeats all round for leading group
The form-book went out of the window in the Bundesliga at the weekend, with leaders Wolfsburg and pursuers Hamburg and Munich all surprisingly defeated. A run of ten straight wins ended for the Wolves in a 2-0 defeat to lowly Cottbus. Hamburg lost by the same score away to Borussia Dortmund, while champions Bayern suffered a major setback in losing 1-0 at home to resurgent Schalke.

Hertha Berlin were the main beneficiaries of their rivals' misfortunes. Coach Lucien Favre’s men went second in the standings with a 1-0 win away to Hoffenheim, as the team who were top at the halfway point continued their free fall down the table. The relegation six-pointer between Borussia Monchengladbach and Arminia Bielefeld ended 1-1.

Serie A: New hope for Milan as Inter and Juve slip
In Italy, leaders Inter appear to be running out of steam with the finishing line in sight. After two draws in a row, Jose Mourinho’s men fell to an unexpected 1-0 defeat away to 12th-placed Napoli.

AC Milan beat Palermo 3-0, cutting their city rivals' lead to seven points and also opening up a two-point lead over third-placed Juventus, as the men from Turin dropped points in a 2-2 draw away to bottom club Reggina. In the battle for UEFA Champions League qualifying places, Fiorentina were the big winners with a 4-1 victory over sixth-placed Roma, while Genoa in fifth lost 2-0 to Bologna.

Ligue 1: Marseille make the most of Lyon's misery
In Ligue 1, Marseille impressively underlined their title credentials by coming back from a goal down away to Lille to record a 2-1 victory. The leaders also profited from Olympique Lyon’s continuing patchy form: the champions were held to a goalless draw by visiting Paris St. Germain in the clash between third and fourth.

Girondins Bordeaux thus held on to second despite not playing a league fixture. Instead, Laurent Blanc’s men beat second division Vannes 4-0 to claim the French League Cup. There was no change at the wrong end of the table, where the bottom four all lost.